DESIGN INNOVATIONS
Plastic materials are strong yet lightweight, versatile and flexible, allowing technological innovation and design freedom. Besides, design is increasingly viewed as an important strategic resource. This column focusses on the role of technologies adopted by leading design-driven companies in the development of radical as well as breakthrough innovations in products.
Rotomoulded plastic school desk
QProducts has launched the QDesk, which uses rotomoulding to produce a school desk that is as sturdy as the non-plastic one. Since it is made from 100 per cent polyethylene, the QDesk is easier to manufacture because of the uniform material and it will not corrode like metal or warp like wood. The ergonomics of this design is ensured through its smooth surfaces and rounded features, considering the hours, a child spends at a school desk. The final geometry is produced using a mould with only 4 pieces that minimise part demoulding time. QDesk’s unique stiffness is achieved by an optimisation process that involves an iterative procedure of mechanical simulations and successive geometry modifications using concurrent engineering. With zero maintenance expenditure and occasional washing, the QDesk is also relatively inexpensive.
Vaccine-delivery through microneedle
Researchers from Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology have studied the benefits of a dissolving microneedle made from poly-vinyl pyrrolidone, a polymer material that has been shown to be safe for use in the body. Just 650 micron in length and assembled into an array of 100 needles, the dissolving microneedles penetrate the outer layers of skin. This vaccine-delivery patch allows people without medical training to administer vaccines, while providing increased immunisation against diseases like influenza. After being introduced into the skin, the microneedles dissolve in bodily fluids, leaving the water-soluble backing, which can be discarded easily. This microneedle patch is made by mixing freezedried vaccine with vinyl-pyrrolidone monomers. It is then placed into moulds and polymerised at room temperature using ultraviolet light. This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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Modern Plastics & Polymers | October 2010